Days after presidential election in Egypt, Israeli members of Knesset
will meet with Egyptian counterparts, including members of Muslim
Brotherhood, in effort to pave way for talks between higher echelons

A delegation of members of Knesset will travel to Washington next
week and meet with Egyptian parliament members, including members of
the Muslim Brotherhood, Ynet reported Monday.

The rare meeting will take place days after the second round of
presidential elections in Egypt, and will be mediated by American
officials.

The MKs, including Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) and Hamad Amar (Yisrael
Beiteinu), are scheduled to leave for Washington on Sunday, and will
stay in the US capital for four days, during which they will attend a
conference and meet with their Egyptian counterparts.

Sources in the Knesset said the trip was initiated and partly funded
by the Foreign Ministry, with the aim of opening a new channel of
communication that could lead to talks between higher ranks in the
future.

However, some senior Knesset officials expressed disappointment over
the selected delegation members, claiming they are low-ranking MKs
who have not served in senior positions in the government or the
Knesset.

The officials said they are concerned the Egyptians will also send a
low-ranking delegation, which will prevent the sides from making
headway.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has stated that it is unfamiliar with
the matter.